‘True hell lies within one’s self…’

The Mystery of Casa Matusita is a 2017 American-Peruvian supernatural horror thriller film directed by Catherine C. Pirotta (Dreamkiller) from a screenplay by Colette Freedman, based on a storyline by Lino Bolanos. The Prospect House Entertainment production is also known as The Secret of Casa Matusita.

An American writer and his wife temporarily move into the infamous “Casa Matusita” in Lima, Peru for a journalistic investigation. The couple encounter seemingly supernatural events, changing their lives in ways they could never imagine…

Main cast:

Tyler Young, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Malcolm McDowell (31; Suck; Halloween; et al), Skeet Ulrich (Scream; The Craft), Bruce Davison (Corbin Nash; Bigfoot; The Lords of Salem), Samantha Stewart,  Antonieta Pari, Gaia Passaler, Tegan Summer, Robin De Lano, Carlos Alcántara and Colette Freedman.

IMDb | Official site

Häxan (English title: The Witches or Witchcraft Through the Ages) is a 1922 Swedish-Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen.

Based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th century German guide for inquisitors, Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. The film was made as a documentary but contains dramatized sequences that are comparable to horror films.

With Christensen’s meticulous recreation of medieval scenes and the lengthy production period, the film was the most expensive Scandinavian silent film ever made, costing nearly two million Swedish kronor.

Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered at that time graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion.

Reviews:

” …Häxan is a deeply rationalistic piece of humanism, exposing the horrors of superstition and hysteria rather than of witchcraft itself. Every scene of witchcraft here is carefully framed as a dream, a delusional hallucination, or the content of a false confession extracted under torture; and while we see body-snatching anatomists mistaken for sorcerers, women denounced in error (or malice) as witches, and repressed, neurotic monks and nuns convinced they are possessed by the Devil, the closest that the film comes to a ‘real’ witch is a crone (Pedersen) who concocts and dispenses obscure pharmaceutical philters and unguents – for money, of course.” Anton Bitel, Film4

” …it’s a wonderfully strange and engaging film” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“Overall, it is an interesting piece of cinema history and I would recommend it as such, but it doesn’t really work as conventional movie due to the constant changes of narrative style and it doesn’t work as a documentary, because it spends too much time on just dramatically portraying various myths. Still, recommended for enthusiasts of cinema history, other than that it doesn’t offer much for a modern viewer.” Karlails Films

“The movie is a collage, but what holds it together is Christensen’s authorial presence, an innovative technique for its time and still uniquely effective. Though shifting suddenly between drama and direct address to the audience, he appears as a guiding hand that is learned, compassionate and humanistic.” David Christenson,  Monsterzine.com

“Genre fans will certainly recognise imagery which has been copied endlessly through the years, and the film certainly stands as a great example of early, sensationalistic horror. Although it is a little slow moving in places, the film is ghoulishly captivating throughout and incredibly, despite its age it has certainly stood the test of time, remaining the definitive work on the subject and still being accessible enough to be enjoyed by modern viewers.” Beyond Hollywood

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Part earnest academic exercise in correlating ancient fears with misunderstandings about mental illness and part salacious horror movie, Haxan is a truly unique work that still holds the power to unnerve, even in today’s jaded era.” James Kendrick, 1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die

Buy: Amazon.com

Offline reading:

Horror Films: The Pocket Essential by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blance – Pocket Essentials, UK, 2011

Artwork designed by Hartter

Wikipedia | IMDb

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‘If you love something, never let it go.’

Pet is a 2016 American-Spanish psychological horror thriller film directed by Carles Torrens (Apartment 143) from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater (Death Note; The Exorcist TV series; The Lazarus Effect). It stars Dominic Monaghan (I Sell the Dead), Ksenia Solo (Black Swan), Jennette McCurdy, and Nathan Parsons (The Roommate; Teeth).

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2016 and was released to US theaters on December 2, 2016.

On 13 March 2017, Signature Entertainment release the film on DVD in the UK.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

Seth (Dominic Monaghan) works at an animal shelter, and for years has been secretly in love with a waitress named Holly (Ksenia Solo). He bumps into Holly on the bus and and subsequently becomes obsessed with her.

When he repeatedly fails in his attempts to woo her, he decides to lock her in a cage at the shelter where he works. He soon discovers that Holly is not who she appears to be and it is no longer clear who is the real victim…

Reviews:

“There is a level of outright cinematic irreverence that carries the film at its peak of insanity, but if you can get on board with the ridiculousness of it all once it takes this turn, it is a majorly fun ride. Admittedly, I would have welcomed even more extreme turns in the plot…” Ari Drew, Dread Central

“The rank, idiotic implausibilities continue to mount, including Seth’s transformation from a wholly recessive personality into a kind of master of psychological manipulations. The movie is also replete with nasty shock effects … and stupendously banal dialogue…” Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

“Monaghan provides interesting variations on what could have been a stock sicko character, while Solo is compelling as the victim who proves more than a match for her captor.” Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

“The constant power flipping allows for some interesting explorations of both the misogyny and misandry demonstrated by the main characters, and the way they justify their actions through the philosophical lens of love and sacrifice. “Pet” is a modern-day fable of unchecked desire that descends quickly into a bloody, morbid cautionary tale.” Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times

“Pet is a purely textual film – peel back its skin and you’ll find blood and sinew, but little to chew on. Any observations about men taking advantage of women (and vice versa) are surface-level. Everything exists to further the plot, all the way to the grim conclusion.” Jacob Hall, /Film.com

“Slater very much wants both members of the twisted couple to be complicated — but the acting says otherwise. The performances and disappearance of narrative elegance don’t creep up on you as much as they hit you over the head with a cinderblock.” Dan Caffrey, Consequence of Sound

“The pace is patient, the acting solid and the special effects emphasize craft over flash as the characters rejigger our perceptions from one scene to the next. These strengths, though, are undermined by a story that gives Seth an out and seems to suggest that we should forgive him. Not likely.” Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“Monaghan manages a balance between creepy and pathetic as a weak antagonist fated to become as much a captive of the situation as his supposed victim, while Solo sells a series of far-fetched twists as an unusual heroine with dark secrets, inner resources and a long-term plan.” Kim Newman, Screen Daily

Cast and characters:

• Ksenia Solo as Holly
• Dominic Monaghan as Seth
• Jennette McCurdy as Claire
• Nathan Parsons as Eric
• Denise Garcia as Britt
• Janet Song as Mrs. Gundy
• Alasdair Martin as Businessman
• Gary J. Tunnicliffe as Homeless Guy

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Life in the suburbs can be hell’

A Room to Die For – aka Rancour – is a 2016 British horror film directed by Devanand Shanmugan from a screenplay co-written with Matthew J. Gunn.

The film is released on DVD in the UK on 16 January 2017 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

Michael Lieber, Loren Peta (Rock Band vs. Vampires; Bad Moon Rising), Christopher Craig, Antonia Davies, Ben Ellis, Natalie Ann Parry (Death Race: Anarchy), Vas Blackwood (Fanged Up; Creep), Frederik von Lüttichau (Witch), Topher Cox, Jon Campling (Curse of the Witching Tree; Tales of the Supernatural; The Zombie King), Jonny Pert.

Plot:

Marcus Crowe is a failed writer who struggles with reality. His girlfriend, Jill, is desperate for Marcus to pursue a proper career.

Broke, the couple find a perfect room to rent owned by an old couple, Henry and Josephine Baker, who take a keen interest in the young couple’s lives. They are shocked when told the old couple have a new born baby.

Stuck in the house 24-7, Marcus spirals into paranoia and believes the old couple is spying on them. When he finds the horrifying truth behind the baby, the old couple’s real reason for renting the room is revealed…

IMDb

‘Don’t follow too close’

Ghosthunters is a 2016 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Pearry Reginald Teo (The Curse of Sleeping Beauty; Dracula: The Dark Prince; Necromentia).

In the UK, the film was released on DVD on 5 July 2016 by The Asylum.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

Francesca Santoro (My Haunted House TV series), Stephen Manley (Crucible of Terror), David O’Donnell (Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark; Halloween Knight), Phyllis Spielman, Liz Fenning, Crystal Web, Kjai Block, Kim Shannon, Kris Marconi, Anna Harr.

Plot:

Henry (Stephen Manley), a paranormal investigator, recently lost his wife Martha (Phyllis Spielman) and daughter Gabby (Anna Harr) to captured and convicted serial killer Nightstalker, who enjoys torturing and killing his victims while dressed as a plague doctor. Henry asks his friend Neal (David O’Donnell) to help him use a machine he designed which can capture and convert ghosts into ectoplasm.

After the funeral of his family, Henry meets with Neal, Neal’s reporter girlfriend Amy (Francesca Santoro), machine programmer Jessica (Liz Fenning), and Devon (Web Crystal) at the Nightstalker’s house. The team sees many ghosts with their devices which includes ghost vision goggles. They finally manage to capture a ghost.

Devon becomes uncomfortable with the idea and leaves, but is killed by an unknown ghost. Amy begins to gain psychic abilities every time the machine is used. She sees how the Nightstalker killed his victims and senses a dark presence which is not a ghost, but she believes is the spirit of the Nightstalker…

Reviews:

“Unfortunately, Ghosthunters is a disappointing dip into dullness for the director.  Production value is ok, albeit movie-of-the-week quality.  But the story is so lazy and the acting tuned so carelessly high that the final film reads as a passionless rush job with no memorable merit to speak of.” Culture Crypt

“The film’s only small flaw is a retread of a montage featuring what may be Gabby getting killed and the Night Stalker, which is seen quite a few times in different spots. However, getting past that, the film smoothly transitions into a twist that is unexpected and shocking that it delves into insanity, ultimately making this one of the stronger titles from the Asylum.” World Film Geek

“The editing was coherent and I found it refreshing that this horror film didn’t follow the stereotypical formula of ‘everyone splits up and dies one-by-one in a predictably boring fashion’. Stephen Manley has no trouble carrying the lead role and is dynamic and believable.” J. Henry, Amazon.com

Interviews:

Actor Stephen Manley talks to Brad Slaton for Terror Time

Cast and characters:

• Francesca Santoro as Amy
• Stephen Manley as Henry
• David O’Donnell as Neal
• Liz Fenning as Jessica
• Web Crystal as Devon
• Phyllis Spielman as Martha
• Anna Harr as Gabby
• Kim Shannon as Sally
• Aaron Moses as Stanley

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘They didn’t picture this’

Polaroid is a 2017 supernatural American-Norwegian horror film directed by Lars Klevberg, based on his 2015 short of the same title (see trailer below). The screenplay is by Blair Butler (Slasher School TV series; America’s Next Top Zombie Idol).

The Dimension Films-Eldorado Film-Vertigo Entertainment co-production has an anticipated release date of 25 August 2017.

Plot:

A high school loner, Bird Fitcher, stumbles upon a vintage Polaroid camera. She soon realises that the camera holds a terrible secret: whoever has their picture taken by it meets a tragic and violent end.
Bird and her friends must survive one more night as they race to solve the mystery of the paranormal Polaroid before it kills them all…

IMDb

Moggy Creatures is an upcoming 2017 American practical FX-laden horror film written and directed by Scott Frazelle (co-writer of House of Bad; Creepshow III segment ‘Haunted Dog’).

Michael Moon (Day of the Dead 2 : Contagium) and Sadie Katz (Grindsploitation: The Movie; Blood Feast; Wrong Turn VI) play Michael and Anna, a troubled couple who take in a stray cat hoping to rebuild their marriage, only to have the pregnant animal spawn evil monsters!

The filmmakers are about to embark on a crowd-funding campaign.

Plot:

Michael and Anna are leftovers of the Hollywood dream; he was once a promising actor, she an aspiring photographer. They cling to their artistic dreams, but their bond has thinned over the years and a devastating loss. Their new fixer-upper, far from the Hollywood Hills, offers some solace when they bring in a stray cat and it has kittens.

Anna loves the new pets, finds a rewarding job, and turns back to Michael, who also finds a new opportunities. But as the kittens grow at a shocking pace, they begin influencing Anna and testing Michael.

Anna’s behaviour becomes tortured and irrational, the now grown cats more intelligent, and Michael can no longer tell where reality lies – until one final growth spurt reveals what they are, and what he must do…

Official site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Related: Fear of Felines! Cats in Horror Films – Article by David Flint

At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul (Portuguese: À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma) is a 1964 Brazilian horror film directed by José Mojica Marins.

It marks the first appearance of Marins’ character Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe) and the first entry in the “Coffin Joe trilogy”. It followed by This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967), and, belatedly, Embodiment of Evil (2008).

On January 31, 2017, the film is released on DVD by Synapse Films with the following special features:

• 35mm negative scan supervised by director José Mojica Marins
• The Making of At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul (10 minutes)
• José Mojica Marins discusses his short film, Reino Sangrento (1952) (9 minutes)
• Interview with José Mojica Marins (6 minutes)
• New scene filmed in 2002
• Introduction to the film by Coffin Joe
• Original theatrical trailer and rare promotional trailer

Buy: Amazon.com

Plot:

An unnamed Brazilian small town: Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe) is the local undertaker who disdains religion and emotion and believes the only thing that matters is the “continuity of the blood”. He is therefore seeks the “perfect woman” to bear him a superior child who will be immortal. Since his wife Lenita has been found to be unable to bear children, Coffin Joe begins to make advances with Terezinha, the fiancée of Joe’s friend Antonio. Terezinha scolds him by telling him that Antonio is the only man in her life. During a Catholic holiday, Joe kills his wife Lenita by tying her up and allowing a venomous spider bite her.

Days later, Coffin Joe is invited by Antonio to visit a local gypsy, who fortells that Antonio’s marriage with Terezinha is going to be a tragic disaster. Joe, in response, calls her a fraud and states that the supernatural is a hoax. However, fulfilling the witch’s prophecy, Joe brutally bludgeons and then drowns Antonio in a bathtub.

The police can find no evidence to implicate Joe with the crime. Terezinha tries to resist his advances, but Coffin Joe savagely beats her into a helpless state and rapes her. Finally able to speak, Terezinha curses him for his brutality, saying she will kill herself, then return to take his soul to Hell. Joe laughs at her, but the next day she is found hanging in her home. To his surprise, she doesn’t blame him in her suicide note.

Meanwhile, the village’s Dr. Rudolfo begins to suspect Joe for the recent outbreak of violent deaths that has occurred. When Joe becomes aware of the doctor’s suspicions, Coffin Joe appears at Dr. Rudolfo’s home, gouges his eyes with his long fingernails and sets him on fire.

Time passes, and Coffin Joe remains unpunished for his crimes. On the Day of the Dead he meets Marta, a young woman who is visiting her relatives, and decides to choose her as his next perfect woman. Joe escorts Marta home late at night, only to be confronted by the gypsy who predicted the doom of Antonio and Terezinha. She informs Joe that his soul shall be claimed by the ghosts of those he murdered and Satan at midnight. Joe threatens the gypsy, but he is soon visited by ghostly apparitions that test his courage. Joe runs away, and coincidentally arrives at the mausoleum where Antonio and Terezinha were buried.

Finally, at the edge of his sanity, Joe opens the coffins to prove to himself his victims are really dead, but instead sees that their eyes are open, as if they are still alive, faces crawling with maggots. Some time later, the villagers find him lying on his back, horribly disfigured, his eyes bulging open similar to the eyes of the two corpses. At that same time, the bells of the local church ring, announcing the stroke of midnight.

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The film was very violent, but what shocked Brazilian audiences was Zé’s blasphemy … Visually, the film seems taken directly from comic books. The black and white photography is highly contrasted, and the lighting totally Expressionistic, with rays of light cutting through the pitch black scenery. Despite his financial problems, Marins was able to put together a very talented crew, which included a number of professionals who worked at big studios in Brazil.” André Barcinski, Fear Without Frontiers: Horror Cinema Across the Globe

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“The film is really a work of art; the ghosts who attack Joe near the end of the film have to be seen to be believed. The effect was achieved by Marins actually gluing glitter down on the actual print of the movie. The gore effects are also very top notch for a film that was made during the 1960’s. Marins definitely had a vision that was well before its time…” Killion, HorrorNews.net

“Not only is it the beginning of the story, it is also among the most conventionally constructed, and thus most accessible, entries in the series. Visually, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soulbears a close resemblance to Hollywood horror films of the early 30’s, the Universal gothics especially. (What’s below that surface, however, is something else altogether.)” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

Choice dialogue:

Coffin Joe: “I’ll eat meat today, even if it’s human flesh!”

Cast and characters:

• José Mojica Marins as Zé do Caixão
• Magda Mei as Terezinha
• Nivaldo Lima as Antônio
• Valéria Vasquez as Lenita
• Ilídio Martins Simões as Dr.Rodolfo
• Eucaris Moraes as Velha Bruxa

Wikipedia | IMDb

Agatha is a 2016 American horror short film written, produced, edited and directed by Timothy Vandenburg. It stars Louise Ogle, Penny Kahut and Renee Farrabow.

Young Sophie has been hired to bring food every night to a mysterious old woman who is locked in an attic. Is the old woman a prisoner? Is she dangerous? Each night, as Sophie completes her task, her curiosity draws her closer and closer to what might be her last meal…

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign that financed Agatha as a short film, the intention is to develop it as a feature in 2017.

Reviews:

“Agatha packs a lot of terror and emotional heft into its short running time … Horror this unnerving doesn’t come along too often in this day and age, but when it does it reminds you of why you fell in love with the genre in the first place – as a child, drawn to the mystique of the danger, must like young Sophie.” Kieran Fisher, Scream magazine

“ …Agatha has everything you want from a horror short – oodles of dark mood, a ghoulishly chilling set-up, performers who seal the deal and that eerie final reveal.” Michael Klug, Horrorfreak News

“Once the premise is established — simply and elegantly — it is up to the viewer to watch and attempt to piece together the mystery behind the Agatha character. in fact, even by the film’s end, although the fate of the young girl is heavily implied, it is never expressly spelled out, leaving the viewer unsettled and still curious.” Deb Kavis, Rue Morgue

‘His party. Your funeral.’

Clown Kill – aka Lock In – is a 2014 British horror film written and directed by Mark J. Howard. Locked in an office block with a sadistic clown the staff must work together to survive the night… It stars Roy Basnett, Jessica Cunningham, recently a contestant on TV show The Apprentice, and Stephen Greenhalgh.

Grindhouse Video is releasing the film on DVD in the US on April 25, 2017.

Main cast:

Roy Basnett, Jessica Cunningham, Stephen Greenhalgh (Zombie Diaries 2), James Thompson, Tim Paley, Jeff Downs, Rachel Dargie, Simon Entwistle, Holly Chadwick.

Plot:

Jenny (Jessica Cunningham), an ambitious, feisty but very successful advertising executive has her drink spiked at a fancy dress party, leading to a brutal sexual assault in the pub toilets by a mysterious figure dressed as a clown.

Slowly, she rebuilds her life, and returns to work after a six month absence. She soon becomes bogged down with work and when her bullying boss gives her a huge, last minute advertising account with a Saudi-backed circus company, the pressure begins to mount.

Forced to work alone throughout the night in the huge office block, it soon becomes apparent she is not alone. Stalking the empty corridors is a familiar, unwanted figure, and Jenny soon discovers she is locked in with Charlie Boy the psychotic clown, driven by a blood lust and an obsession with torment and murder…

Filming locations:

Accrington and Burnley, Lancashire, England
Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

IMDb | Facebook

‘All you need is dead’

Dead Squad is a 2017 jungle-set monster movie directed by music composer Dominik Hauser – making his feature film directorial debut – from a screenplay co-written with Nancy Thornhill. It stars Conan Stevens (who played Man-Thing), Jonathan Looper, Ryan Sobolski, and Réka Gavaldi.

The film is currently in pre-production, in Bali, Indonesia

Main cast:

Conan Stevens, Jonathan Looper, Ryan Sobolski, Réka Gavaldi, Carma Sharon, Tony Kern, Bianca Zouppas, Peer Metze, Elizabeth Morse, Stephen Dixon, Guy Talon.

Official synopsis:

“Dead Squad is a campy, splatter-filled, horror adventure that harkens back to classic films of the early 80s. It concerns a group of young people who become lost in the jungle during a river rafting trip and stumble upon a long lost ruin that is home to a host of mysterious monsters.”

IMDb | Facebook | Source: 28 Days Later Analysis

Space Goat Productions, in partnership with Studiocanal and Creative Licensing, has announced they will be producing a four-issue comic book miniseries and board game based on the 1981 Joe Dante classic horror film, The Howling.

The comic book series will be written by two-time New York Times best-selling author and former Blizzard Entertainment lead writer Micky Neilson. “I can’t even tell you how excited I am to write The Howling comic book! I saw the movie when I was seventeen. It opened an entirely new window into werewolf mythology and left a lifelong impression that influences me to this day,” said Micky Neilson. “If I could choose any license to work on, The Howling is right there at the top of the list. It still stands as my favorite all-time werewolf film. I’ve been obsessed with werewolves ever since the first time I saw it.”

“Micky’s enthusiasm is contagious,” said Space Goat’s Founder and President Shon Bury. “There is a complete dearth of quality werewolf stories on the market. Exploring the lore of The Howling with a writer of Micky’s caliber is going to be a joy ride. Werewolf fans are going to love it.”

Line art for the comic book series will be provided by industry veteran Jason Johnson, who has worked on fan-favorite books like Wetworks, Gen13, and Knight Rider. “I have always had a major fascination with werewolves!” said Johnson. “They were by far the most fearsome of monsters. I will bring this story to life like only a true werewolf connoisseur can. I am also pleased to work with the Shon and the amazing team at Space Goat. They are building something truly special.”

The four-issue comic book mini-series The Howling: Revenge of the Werewolf Queen is scheduled to be released in Summer 2017, and will take place directly after the events of the first film. The release date of the board game will be announced at a later date.

Related: Comics from Hell: The Horror Films That Spawned Comics – article by Daz Lawrence

The Trace We Leave Behind – original title: O Rastro – is a 2017 Brazilian medical-themed horror mystery film directed by J.C. Feyer from a screenplay by Beatriz Manela and André Pereira for Imagem Filmes.

It stars Leandro Leal, Rafael Cardoso, Felipe Camargo, Claudia Abreu, and Jonas Bloch star.

The film will be released in Brazilian theaters on March 30, 2017.

Plot:

João (Rafael Cardoso) is a physician chosen to coordinate the removal of patients from a public Rio hospital that is about to be deactivated. On the night of the transfer, a ten-year-old girl disappears without a trace. The more John approaches the truth, the more he plunges into an obscure universe, which should never be revealed…

IMDb | Source: Screen Anarchy

‘She’ll spoil you to death!’

Grandmother’s House is a 1988 American horror thriller film directed by Peter Rader from a screenplay by Peter Jensen (Shadow of the Hawk storyline). It was produced by Greek filmmaker Nico Mastorakis (The Wind; Blind Date; Blood Tide; Island of Death). It is also known as Grandma’s House.

Main cast:

Eric Foster (Darkroom; Death House), Kim Valentine (Raiders of the Lost Shark; Werewolf TV series)), Len Lesser (Frankenstein and the Werewolf Reborn!; Ruby; Blood and Lace), Ida Lee and Brinke Stevens (Jonah Lives; Repligator; Teenage Exorcist).

Plot:

Following the death of both their parents, siblings David and Lynn move to their grandparents’ house, which is set in a remote orchard in the American mid-west.

As soon as they arrive, David witnesses his grandparents moving what appears to be a body into the basement…

He also begins seeing a strange lady wearing period country clothes, who mysteriously appears and disappears at random. Later, the woman reveals herself and the siblings discover she has escaped from a local mental hospital. She chases them all over the house and grounds whilst brandishing a kitchen knife…

Reviews:

“An extended third-act chase sequence set around an orange grove is highly memorable, coming with a shock involving a steel pipe that startles just as it should … Grandmother’s House comes equipped with a final scene that surprises, dismays and unsettles—pretty good for a movie that went straight to video.” David Putnam, The Film File

Buy: Amazon.com

“This is a professionally put-together, well-produced film with good cinematography, editing and music, and with an accent placed on mystery and suspense over blood and violence. It’s quite odd though in how uneven the whole thing is.” The Bloody Pit of Horror

“The film has an atmosphere that is hard to shake. It moves with an almost hallucinatory slow-motion mood that seems to take place somewhere between a waking nightmare and a childhood tall-tale. (The influence of the child’s point-of-view horror classic The Night of the Hunter (1955) hangs unmistakably over the film).” Moria

“This is an uninspired mad-relative-terrorizes-the-family movie … The interminable climax features a lengthy chase during which plot revelations come mechanically tumbling out.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Choice dialogue:

Raymond: “If I had a sister like that, I’d boff her.”

Grandmother: “We’re gonna have to get out the chastity belt.”

Cast and characters:

• Eric Foster as David
• Kim Valentine as Lynn
• Len Lesser as Grandfather
• Ida Lee as Grandmother
• Brinke Stevens as Woman
• Michael Robinson as Kenny
• Craig Yerman as Raymond
• David Donham as Mr. Sackett
• Joan-Carol Bensen as Mrs. Sackett
• Angela O’Neill as Darlene
• R.J. Walker as Sheriff
• Furley Lumpkin as Deputy
• Jeanette Jamron as Twin 1
• Anitra Jamron as Twin 2
• David Algeier as Minister

Filming locations:

Redlands, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Filled with sweet revenge’

Killer Piñata is a 2015 American comedy horror film about a possessed piñata. It was directed by Stephen Tramontana from a screenplay co-written with Megan MacManus.

The film will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and VHS on January 18 via LC Films. Special features include:

• Audio commentary
• Deleted/extended scenes
• Bloopers

Meanwhile, the film is already available online via Amazon.com

Main cast:

Lindsay Ashcroft, Nate Bryan, Billy Chengary, Sheila Edmiston, Elvis Garcia, Daniel Hawkes, Eliza-Jane Morris, Davinia Palmer, Steven James Price, Joette Waters, Nick Weeks.

Plot:

A possessed piñata, seeking to avenge the savagery that humanity has inflicted on his kind, picks off a group of friends, one by one, in an unending night of terror…

Reviews:

“The laughs are few, the smiles are more frequent, the occasional wit is apparent, and the run-time is long enough to show the weaknesses of the filmmakers; it should have been cut down by an hour or so, removing the excesses and leaving a tighter, funnier, and more satisfying half-hour to forty-five minute short…” Ben Spurling, HorrorNews.net

” …the whole enterprise is so unassuming and good-humoured that it’s easy to forgive its many failings, even though it does commit a few of what I would consider cardinal sins of no-budget schlock horror: for one thing, it outstays its welcome just a little at a full 90 minutes in length…” Ben Bussey, Brutal As Hell

IMDb | Facebook | Official site

‘The rubber that rubs you out !!!’

Killer Condom – original title Kondom des Grauens (translation: “Condom of Horror” – is a 1996 German horror comedy based on the comic book of the same name by Dylan Kenyon.

The film was directed by Martin Walz and featured Kurt Scobbie as its special effects coordinator. Artist H.R. Giger (Species; Alien) was a creative consultant. It was distributed in the United States by Troma Entertainment.

Image courtesy: www.unzeit.de

Plot:

New York City: Gay detective Luigi Mackeroni (Udo Samel) has been hired to investigate a series of bizarre attacks at the Hotel Quickie in which male guests have all had their penises mysteriously bitten off.

Whilst at the crime scene, he enlists the services of a gigolo named Billy and invites him up to the crime room. Before the two men engage in sex, a carnivorous living condom interrupts them and bites off Mackeroni’s right testicle.

Now on a personal vendetta, Mackeroni begins his lone quest to not only bring a stop to the rash of condom attacks, but also face his true feelings toward Billy the gigolo…

Image courtesy of VHS Wasteland

Reviews:

‘One part crime drama, one part comedy, one part ultra-low budget horror movie (dig the cardboard cut out of a nurse float pass the door in the hospital) and one part gay movie. That’s right, this certainly isn’t a movie for everyone. If you have a problem with seeing naked guys together, you best leave right now and not look back.’ IGN

“The carnivorous contraceptive, which admittedly shares some similarities to Giger’s work on the sandworm from Dune, has teeth like a lamprey and makes cartoon sound effects as it squirms around … Killer Condom is not your average B-movie, but if you’re looking for something a bit different, it definitely is awfully good.” Jason Adams, JoBlo.com

” …we still have the danger of AIDS this is a film that is willing to show you the dangers of carnivorous condoms. On top that this film poke fun at the stereotypes of macho men and action hero’s. Also the film has a nice gritty sleaze feel to it being full of hookers, perverts and religious fanatics.” HorrorNews.net

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Daddy’s been working in the garden… again!’

Stepfather III – aka Stepfather III: Father’s Day – is a 1992 made-for-TV British-American slasher horror film directed by co-producer Guy Magar (Children of the Corn: Revelation; Retribution) from a screenplay co-written with Marc B. Ray (The Severed Arm; Scream Bloody Murder). It is also known as Stepfather 3.

Main cast:

Robert Wightman (Impulse), Priscilla Barnes (Trailer Park of Terror; Ed Gein; The Devil’s Rejects), David Tom (The Hazing), Season Hubley (Children of the Corn V; Humanoids from the Deep, 1996) and Christa Miller.

Opening plot:

Gene Clifford (Robert Wightman), escapes from the same institution in Puget Sound, Washington he was placed in four years ago. He seeks out a back alley plastic surgeon (Mario Roccuzzo) to alter his appearance, using no anesthesia.

After a few days, Gene kills the doctor by slitting his throat with a bone saw and makes his way to Deer View, California, where he acquires a new identity, “Keith Grant”, as well as a small cottage and a job at a plant nursery.

Nine months after crafting his new life, Keith meets divorced school principal Christine Davis (Priscilla Barnes) and her psychosomatically paralyzed son Andy (David Tom). Keith and Christine begin dating.

When Christine’s possessive ex-boyfriend Mark Wraynal (Stephen Mendel) follows Keith home and confronts him, Keith offers to have a chat. Keith kills him with a shovel and buries the body in his garden…

Reviews:

“Wightman, with that prissy, scary, whiny voice makes a good fist of it, and seems more barmy than ever. The violence is genuinely gory, and climaxes with a death in a garden threshing-machine that surely defies all efforts at restorative surgery.” Time Out

“Film lurches on without much credibility. Young David’s plight works up some tension, but characters are mostly flat (though Barnes makes the hard-luck Christine almost acceptable), motivations telegraphed, the story predictable. As for dialogue, it’s routine horror pic stuff.” Tony Scott, Variety

” …poorly scripted, all-too-familiar chiller — continuing a serial killer’s search for the perfect family — with gory plastic surgery, savage violence, and even some effective Boo! scenes. But robotic Wightman … is a weak substitute for previous death-dealing dad Terry O’Quinn.” Entertainment Weekly

“Ultimately the movie’s faults come down to Wightman, who is no substitute for O’Quinn. Stepfather III is a 110 minute bad joke. Insipid acting, laughable dialogue and an incredibly cliched story. At times it overcompensates with it’s gore, to make up for it’s lack of everything else.” Robert Grimes, Unseen Films

“The script by director Guy Magar and Marc B. Ray fails to exploit a sub-plot in which Wightman’s new stepson suspects him and uses his home computer to investigate. The use of a leaf mulcher does provide this excursion into bloody violence with a memorably sickening climax.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Cast and characters:

• Robert Wightman as The Stepfather/Keith Grant
• Priscilla Barnes as Christine Davis
• Season Hubley as Jennifer Ashley
• David Tom as Andy Davis
• John Ingle as Father Ernest Thomas Brennan
• Dennis Paladino as Mr. Thompson
• Stephen Mendel as Mark Wraynal
• Jay Acovone as Steve Davis
• Christa Miller as Beth Davis
• Mario Roccuzzo as Plastic Surgeon
• Joan Dareth as Bernice
• Jennifer Bassey as Doctor Brady
• Adam Ryen as Nicholas Ashley
• Mindy Ann Martin as Tiffany Davis
• Joel Carlson as Pete Davis
• Sumer Stamper as Maggie Davis
• Brenda Strong as Lauren Sutliffe
• Mort Lewis as Funeral Priest
• Adam Wylie as Easter Party Boy

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Woe, woe, woe… under the mistletoe!’

12 Slays of Christmas is a 2016 horror anthology film produced by Tony Newton (Grindsploitation: The Movie; Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels; 60 Seconds to Die).

The segments are directed by Natalie Bailey-Trist, Dustin Ferguson, Kieran Johnston, Tony Newton, Noel J. Rainford, Joe Saulino, James Atkins, Mike Connors, Jason Figgis, Jonathan Patrick Hughes, Jason Impey, Reyna Young, Sam Mason-Bell, Kim Sønderholm

The film has just been released by Troma on VOD.

IMDb

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is a non-profit, community-based curriculum through which established horror writers, directors, scholars and programmers/curators celebrate horror history and culture with a unique blend of enthusiasm and critical perspective.

Named for the fictional university in H.P. Lovecraft’s literary mythos, the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is a community-based organization that offers university-level history, theory and production-based workshops for people of all ages.

The Miskatonic is a non-profit endeavour through which established horror writers, directors, scholars and programmers/curators celebrate horror history and culture with a unique blend of enthusiasm and critical perspective.

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies was founded by film writer and programmer Kier-La Janisse in March of 2010. After existing in embryonic form at Aqua Books in Winnipeg, Canada, Miskatonic moved to Montreal’s Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre in June of 2010.

Since 2013 Miskatonic Montreal has been co-directed by Kristopher Woofter and Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare, while Janisse teamed up with UK-based film scholar and Electric Sheep founder/editor-in-chief Virginie Sélavy to launch Miskatonic London in January 2015, which has gone on to enjoy lectures from the likes of genre luminaries Kim Newman, Stephen Thrower, Jasper Sharp, Mark Gatiss, John Hough, and Daniel Bird among others.

In fall of 2016, Janisse launched a pilot season for Miskatonic NYC beginning with classes by Jack Ketchum, Peter Straub, Douglas E. Winter, Dennis Paoli, Michael Gingold and more.

In addition to the regular September-May curriculum, Miskatonic co-presents events throughout the year. For details, email: miskatonic.london@gmail.com

“It’s not enough to know we’re scared – we need to understand how and why, and what being scared means. The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is an initiation into an understanding of horror, which is – in the end – a key to an understanding of everything.” Kim Newman, film critic and author

Upcoming events:

Miskatonic Institute

The Exorcist (1973)

Khooni ki Pyaasi

Wohi Bhayaanak Raat

Shaolin vs. Evil Dead

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Murdaa Ghar

Haveli ke Peeche

Bhootni

Khopdi

Fright Night (1985)

Image credits: Poster Perversion